Objectives: Dickkopf-1 (DKK-1) is WNT/b-catenin pathway antagonist which plays a detrimental role in the development of diabetic retinopathy (DR). This research aimed to assess serum DKK-1 levels in diabetic patients who have and have not developed DR and, compare them with the control subjects finding out whether we can use it as an indicator for DR early diagnosis and to find out which one of the widely used two groups of antidiabetic treatments had the greater effect on this biomarker and hence on the progression of DR. Methods: The study participants were divided into two subgroups: First, 70 patients (36 male, 34 female) with type 2 diabetes mellitus, among them 35 patients diagnosed with DR and 35 with no evidence of DR, and secondly, non-diabetic controls (11 male, 9 female) were selected from the patients attending Ibn AL-Haitham hospital for ophthalmology and a specialized center for endocrinology and diabetes. Venous blood samples of all participants were drawn after an overnight fast, and serum samples were stored at -20ºC until DKK-1 assay. Results: Serum DKK-1 showed significantly lower levels in diabetic patients with (6.1 ± 2 ng/mL) or without DR (14 ± 6.2 ng/mL) when compared to those of controls (34 ± 12.25 ng/mL) (p 0.05). Furthermore, serum DKK-1 levels were lower in the late stage of DR compared to the early stage 5.6 ± 1.7 and 7 ± 1.9 ng/mL, respectively. Furthermore, DPP-4 inhibitors cause a better increment in DKK-1 levels when compared to SU in the NDR group. Conclusions: Reduced serum levels of DKK-1 are related to the existence and worsening of DR and have the prospect to serve as an indicator for this condition.
Objective: To suggest a weighted measure to diagnose the reasons for the low student success ratios in mathematics concerning the third grade of intermediate schools in light of components educational system represented by: [Students, Teachers, Curriculum, and Environmental reasons (others reasons)] assuming differentiated and interrelated components, Also the effectiveness forming of these components according to the gender variable. Methods: Data collection tools were prepared by constructing two questionnaires for each of (Students and Teachers), which included a number of items that involved some domains for studied components of educational system, which demonstrated a high level of validity and reliability in the pilot study, in addi
... Show MoreThe effect of D phase polyamide (PA6)on the rheological properties, Young Modulus and the thermal expansion coefficient of two blends groups (bitumen-polyamide) were tested. The first group was for bitumen-PA6 blends and the second group for bitumen blended with polymer resulted from the crystallization of PA6-formic acid solution in water(PAFW).The obtained results proved that adding both types of polyamide has led to a rise in toughness and softening point temperature while the penetration Index approached -3 after adding the polyamide. So, all these changes make bitumen-polyamide blends more suitable for use in hot climate regions. The blends properties were explained according to the reaction that takes place between the polyamide and
... Show MoreBackground: The quantity and the quality of available bone, influence the clinical success of dental implants surgery. Cone beam Computed tomography is an established method for acquiring bone images before performing dental implant. Cone beam computed tomography is an essential tool for treatment planning and post-surgical procedure monitoring, by providing highly accurate 3-D images of the patient's anatomy from a single, low-radiation scan which yields high resolution images with favorable accuracy. The aim of study is the Measurement of alveolar bone (height and buccolingual width) and density in the mandible among Iraqi adult subject using CBCT for assessment of dental implant site dimensions. Material and method: The study sample in
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Semiconductor-based gas sensors were prepared, that use n-type tin oxide (SnO2) and tin oxide: zinc oxide composite (SnO2)1-x(ZnO)x at different x ratios using pulse laser deposition at room temperature. The prepared thin films were examined to reach the optimum conditions for gas sensing applications, namely X-ray diffraction, Hall effect measurements, and direct current conductivity. It was found that the optimum crystallinity and maximum electron density, corresponding to the minimum charge carrier mobility, appeared at 10% ZnO ratio. This ratio appeared has the optimum NO2 gas sensitivity for 5% gas concentration at 300 °C working temperat
... Show MoreThe interest in the intellectual capital and its development is a civilized necessity imposed by the requirements of the times and cannot imagine an advanced society in its potential productivity in poor efficiency of human capital, and features the work environment change permanently, putting the management of financial companies against a constant challenge toward coping with new developments in this changing environment and this is not taken unless owned by these companies qualified human resources and the provision of Culture organizers have, which manifested itself with the research problem by the following two questions:
- Did the intellectual capital value specific financial and
A new efficient Two Derivative Runge-Kutta method (TDRK) of order five is developed for the numerical solution of the special first order ordinary differential equations (ODEs). The new method is derived using the property of First Same As Last (FSAL). We analyzed the stability of our method. The numerical results are presented to illustrate the efficiency of the new method in comparison with some well-known RK methods.
Abstract
The current research aims to develop a guidance program suitable for high school students and apply it to them in order to ensure the reduction of addiction to the use of different means of communication. The researchers used the scale of addiction to the means of communication (SAS) to measure the level of addiction as well as to identify the impact of the proposed guidance program in reducing the degree of addiction to communication. It was applied to a sample of (20) female students divided equally into two groups: an experimental group of (10) female students and a control group of (10) female students from the secondary level in a school under the department of education in the education of the alma
... Show MoreThe research is based on the basic idea that companies today are moving towards a new trend towards protecting the environment coupled with the increasing wareness of the pollution damage caused by these companies due to their operations and activities in the environment. The two main reasons that led the researchers to choose this subject is the need to adapt the companies themselves in response to successive developments, The great development was that companies moved from the sole economic responsibility of the business to social responsibility by emphasizing socially responsible profit. The problem of research is the knowledge of the availability of the dimensions of the green processing series in Kirkuk Cement Factory The re
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